If you look at 99% of motorsport branding, the typography follows a very predictable recipe: italicized, bold, and sans-serif. It’s a visual shorthand for fast. The slant mimics the wind, the weight mimics the power. It’s fine, but it’s also a bit of a cliché. In the world of high-end lifestyle branding, typography isn’t just about speed but more about voice.
For my thesis, I’m experimenting with breaking these “speed rules.” I’ve been looking at foundries like Pangram Pangram, it’s inspired me to add the technical grids of racing, but make it more like a fashion headline. But the bold move is if you introduce a Serif. Traditionally (or in an engineers opinion), serifs are seen as old or academic, so not quite a race car. But look at what happens when a brand like Aimé Leon Dore uses a classic serif next to a vintage Porsche. Suddenly, the car feels like a piece of heritage, like a classic watch.
I’m working on a typographic system that uses a technical mono-spaced font (like what you’d see on a computer terminal or a shipping crate) for the data, paired with a very elegant, high-contrast serif for the headlines. This creates more of a Visual Friction.
Disclaimer: This text was refined with the support of AI. The reflections and observations are based on my personal experience of attending the event.
